Author: Kam Star

Following up on participation in BETT last year, one of the largest technology in education events in the world, ProsocialLearn has returned to the show this month armed with running games, our development platform and give-away activity cards.

Designing games about social skills doesn’t need to be difficult. Particularly if you have the right tools. Introducing Prosocial Game Design Toolkit!

Three tools designed to make it easy to create prosocial games. Developed by PlayGen as part of the ProsocialLearn game developer support network, meant to assist SMEs in the creative and collaborative development of prosocial games using ProsocialLearn methodology and game components.

A report defining potential prosocial game scenarios based on the core prosociality domains of empathy, trust, fairness, compassion, generosity and cooperation has been produced by the ProsocialLearn consortium.

The study is intended as an initial outline for designers of prosocial games, as a source for inspiration for new games, as well as providing an outline methodology to use when conceptualising scenarios. The report provides succinct and prescriptive game scenarios that serve as the foundation for future games design and for inspiring game designers to imagine new games for prosociality.

An analysis of the emerging digital prosocial games market has been produced by the ProsocialLearn consortium.

Social exclusion is a key concept in Europe social policy, and both the Europe 2020 strategy and the Digital Agenda for Europe aim to ensure greater social cohesion and employment.

Support for disengaged and disadvantaged learners, enhancing their employability and integration into society is a key. This includes helping people with learning disabilities, and young people to be more employable.

ProsocialLearn, a 36-month (January 2015 - December 2017) project funded by the European Union, will deliver a series of disruptive innovations for the production and distribution of prosocial digital games that engage children, as well as stimulate technology transfer from the games industry to the educational sector.

Prosocial games genreThe ProsocialLearn project will create a new digital gaming genre that focuses on helping children to acquire prosocial skills necessary for positive relationships, team working, trustworthiness and emotional intelligence (EI).

Prosocial games marketProsocialLearn will foster the creation of a new market for digital games aimed at increasing social inclusion and academic performance, as well as a distribution channel to deliver these games to children and teachers in European schools.

Prosocial game APITraditional game developers know how to produce engaging stories and exciting content, but lack scientifically proven mechanics for creating games that can increase social inclusion and academic performance. The ProsocialAPI will enable them to easily incorporate prosocial constructs into their games.

Join the ProsocialLearn community conversation, discover the games and host a trial at your school!